Mirrors/Theories
Discuss interpretations and possible theories involving the prominent use of mirrors in Lost Season Six here. Relation to Main Timeline Deja Vu *The mirror moments correspond to characters' brief *remembrance* of their lives on the island, before some major shift causes the alternate timeline to take over their lives and cause fairly complete amnesia. The reflective gaze is especially apt to triggers these memories, though it need not be the only way a character experiences deja vu. **This seems to be supported by Jack's behavior. He notices an inexplicable bruise on his neck in LAX and later suffers similar confusion over his appendectomy (albeit via direct body inspection, not mirror use). Parallel "Bleed Through" *The moments when alt-timeline characters observe themselves in mirrors represent the effect of a bleed-through with the simultaneously occurring main time line. Mirror as Window into Different Timeline *Gazing through a mirror, either on the Island Lighthouse or within the alt-timeline, provides a means of seeing into the other timeline. Jacob uses the mirror to gaze into many different possible outcomes, past, future, and within the flash-sideways. Characters in the flash-sideways gazing or reacting emotionally to a mirror are subliminal accessing a different chronology/reality. Symbolism Shattering *The significance of shattering a mirror is in its ironic conveyance of clarity. Out of frustration, Jack and Sawyer smash mirrors, only to have these actions provide chances for self-reflection and a new found sense of personal resolution. Foreshadows "Destined" Encounters with Characters *In , Jack sees his reflection before he meets Desmond. *In What Kate Does, Kate sees herself in the mirror before returning to Claire. *In The Substitute, Locke sees himself in the mirror before calling Jack. *In The Lighthouse, Jack sees himself in the mirror and notices the appendectomy scar from the Island. *In The Lighthouse, Jack and Hurley see glimpses of the past in the mirrors. *In Sundown, Sayid sees himself in the window before seeing Nadia. *In Dr. Linus, Ben sees himself in the microwave before having dinner with his father, who mentions the Island. *In Recon, James smashes a mirror shortly before encountering Kate. *In The Package, Sun and Jin encounter Keamy soon after Sun has her mirror moment. *In Happily Ever After, Desmond encounters Hurley, Claire, and George after seeing his reflection in the Oceanic screen. *Also in Happily Ever After, Desmond encounters Charlie after his reflection is seen in the police station door. **As always, could be coincidental. Reflections and their meaningfulness Reflections relating to the two timelines * Jack's reflection in "LA X" that shows his neck and comes before a significant meeting with Desmond * Kate's reflection in "What Kate Does" that influences Kate to pick up Claire. * Locke's reflection in "The Substitute" before he calls Jack. * Jack's reflection in "The Lighthouse" when Jack notices his appendix scar. * Ben's reflection in "Dr. Linus" before the Island is mentioned. * James' reflection in "Recon" before he meets Kate. * Sun's reflection in "The Package" before seeing Keamy, Omar, and Patchy. * Desmond's reflections in "Happily Ever After". After one he meets Hurley, Claire, and George in rapid succession. After the other, he meets Charlie, who shows him the Island timeline. Reflections that are accidental or for other purposes * In "LA X" when Agent Mars looks into the mirror. This is for the purposes of showing that he is not paying attention to Kate. * In "The Substitute" when the Smoke Monster's reflection is shown in the house. This is for clarification. If not for this shot, an audience member may think that it simply means the Monster is around, but not necessarily that we're looking through its POV. * In "The Lighthouse" when Jack and Hurley see themselves in the mirror. This was unavoidable since they were rotating huge mirrors. * In "The Lighthouse" when Jack was staring at himself in the water. This was to symbolize that Jack was still uncertain about everything and trying to find answers (which Jacob indirectly gave at the lighthouse). * In "The Package" when Jin's reflection is on the freezer door. Since this wasn't focused on and no one was looking at it, it may be safe to say that this was simply an unavoidable reflection to have in the shot. * In "Happily Ever After" when Daniel knocks on the window it seems that this is more of a shot that was meant to OBSCURE Daniel for a brief moment longer rather than SHOW a reflection.